BMW VISION NEXT 100 made its final stop of the anniversary tour in Los Angeles where it joined the main stage along with the other three BMW Group Concepts. BMW says that the main objective with the BMW VISION NEXT 100 was to create not an anonymous vehicle, but one that is highly personalized and fully geared to meet the driver’s every need.
For the VISION NEXT 100, BMW looked at all the latest trends and technological developments that will be most relevant to BMW in the decades ahead, or even sooner. Staying true to their heritage, BMW also took many of their cues from innovations and designs of the past. Things like the iconic kidney grille, long bonnet and short overhangs are part of the design.
Personalization is a huge topic in today’s automotive landscape, along with a digital companion, so it’s only fitted that the VISION NEXT 100 will revolve around those themes. BMW says that in the years ahead, the driver’s well-being will become increasingly important, and rather than merely feeling they are in a machine that drives itself, they should sense that they are sitting in one that was specifically designed for them.
An intelligent “Companion” component studies the driving style and preferences of the primary driver of the car so that it can eventually perform some daily tasks and offer advice about how best to complete others. It will also be able to communicate with humans outside the car, like signaling pedestrians when it is safe to cross in front of the car.
The car has two driving modes, one of them involving fully autonomous functions. But even when you’re driving, you’re in ‘Boost Mode’ with augmented-reality guiding you. So BMW will continue to cater to its core demographic who love to actually drive their cars, but also to its future customer base who sees mobility as a lifestyle.
